Cancer, within a particular example of disease involving undesirable cell proliferation or angiogenesis, has deserved more and more studies concerning its combat. Many treatment alternatives have been researched, among them the use of phytomedicine, as in the present invention.
Euphorbia tirucalli L. is a plant from the Euphorbiaceae family, originated from East Africa and Asia, also popularly known as aveloz or pencil tree, milkbush, esqueleto, graveto do cão, figueira do diabo, dedo do diabo, pau-pelado, São Sebastião tree, espinho-de-cristo, coroa-de-cristo, espinho-de-judeu, espinho italiano, pau-sobre-pau, árvore de coral. It is a plant whose parts, e. g. leaves and husk, are used in popular medicine.
However, many Euphorbiaceae plants, particularly Euphorbia tirucalli L., exude a latex which is toxic, irritating and caustic. Its milky juice may cause damage and edema to skin and mucosa, irritation, eye tearing, eyelid edema and even difficulties in vision. Latex ingestion may also cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and, in larger quantities it may even be deadly. In fact, aveloz latex is rich in terpenes, including forbol and ingenol esters. Forbol esters are highly irritating, reported to promote the appearance of tumors (Khan, A. Q. et al, Euphorcinol: a New Pentacyclic Triterpene from Euphorbia tirucalli, Planta Medica, 1989; 55: 290-291). A particular aveloz forbol, 4-deoxyforbol ester, was clinically reported as increased the infection of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), causing disruptions to the DNA of immune cells and causing suppression of the immune system in general (MacNeil, A. et al, Activation of Epstein-Barr Virus Lytic Cycle by the Latex of the Plant Euphorbia tirucalli, Br. J. Cancer, 2003; 88 (10): 1566-9). Besides this chemical compound, an aveloz extract was also reported as having reduced the ability of certain immune cells (T cells) to eliminate EBV. EBV is a member of the herpes virus family, which is one of the most common human viruses. After the initial infection, EBV establishes whole life latent infection within cells B. An EBV infection may cause mononucleosis, and some EBV vehicles will develop cancer, such as Burkitt's lymphoma or nosefaringeous carcinoma. In summary, said latex is aggressive to the human body and therefore seen and recommended as something with which any contact should be avoided.
Thus, against all technical prejudice, the Applicant verified that a specific active fraction of an extract of said latex, as well as one or more compounds composing it, has effective anticancer action, as will be explained below.